Metal screw cap



Nov. 20, 1934. H. HERMAN] 1,981,414

METAL SCREW CAP Filed May 18, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. f/z/y/ey/yf/ww/m BY j ORNEYS.

NOV. 20, 1934. 4 \1 1,981,414 I METAL SCREW CAP Filed May 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR. fls/ve Y Ai /7014A.

TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 193 4 UNITED STATES".

' ung e museum car He ltry Hennani, Md; assignoriolhe Decorating Company of Baltimore, Baltimore, aoorporatlon ofNew Jersey Application May is. 1m, Serial m. 538.281 5 n 0mm. (curs-4:)

My invention-relates to improvements in closuresor caps for bottles and other receptacles having a screw threaded neck, and method of making same.-

At the present time, it is the general practice to make metallic caps for receptacles having screw threaded necks in the form of a stamped cap having screw threads for engagement with the threads on the neck of the receptacle. The

shape of outer surface of such caps conforms to the inner surface thereof, that is, the outer surface presents a circular screw threaded neck which is grasped to turn the cap for removal from the receptacle. Considerable difficulty is often encountered in obtaining a firm grip on such caps and it is frequently n to resort to the use of plyers or other implements to obtain a grip sufilcient to loosen the cap from neck of the receptacle. While caps are available in molded form, such as rubber, and having in ternal screw threads and an irregular angular exterior surface; such caps are relatively expensive and require considerable material. I

The principal objects of my invention include first, the provision of a cap for screw threaded engagement with the neck of a receptacle which can be produced cheaply and in large quantities by die-stamping from metallic forms; secend, the provision of a cap of the above character having internal screw threads for engagement with the threads-on'the neck of the receptacle and having a non-circular external surface affording a fl pping surface to facilitate and enable readyturnlnglof the cap on the neck of Other objects and of the invention will become apparent during the course of the detail description of the drawings wherein 1 show preferred embodiments of the invention and in which Fig. 1 is a disassembled perspective view of the parts of a cap made in accordance with one embodiment of my'invention; I

Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view through the parts shown in Pig. 1 in partly assembled relation Fig.3isavlewsimllart6 l" ig.2showing the parts c nl lv a m e Fig.4isatopplanvlewcfthecap.

Fig. 0 is-a perspective view similar to m. 1--

Fig; 'l is a vertical sectional view of" the form comprising t sides, and'12. designates the inner .11

shown in Fig. 6 with the parts assembled:

Fig.5 is a sectional viewon the line 5-5 of Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view .of the form shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of another modification of the invention;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the form shown 0 in Fig. 9 with the parts disassembled; and,

Fig. 11 is a bottom plan view of a stopper embodyin the invention and illustrating one of the many possible different shapes other than that shown in the other figures of the drawings. In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, I have shown a screw threaded metallic cap A similar to those in general use at the present time, and provided with an annular bead 1- at its lower end. This type of capdoes not afford a good gripping surface and when tightly applied to receptacles is difdcult of removal due to the circular screwthreaded exterior. Then too such cap does not harmonize with receptacles of angular or oval formation. In order to provide a metallic cap 7 of non-circular formation I provide a metallic shell B having fiat walls 2, and of a size to fit snugly'over the shell A with the inside of the walls 2 adjacent or contacting the bead 1 and the tops of the shells abutting as shown in Fig. 2, with the lower end 3 of the shell B projecting slightly. beyond the lower edge of shell A. The shells A and B are united to provide the completed cap shown in Figs. 3 and 4 by bending the portion 3 around the bead 1 by any suitable 5 means or machine so as to cause the bead to conform to the angular or non-circular shape of the outer shell as shown in Fig. 4, and drawing the tops of the shells together, thus preventing relative movement between the shells and faeilitating movement of the cap on the neck of the receptacle.

,The foregoing operation is performed without deforming thescrew-threaded wall of the inner shell, and it will be noted that there is a space 4 between the walls of the two shells, while the lower end 8 of the completed stopper, where the portion 3 is clamped around the bead '1, is disposed outside of the interior of the screw threaded wall 5 so that the deformed bead will no not interfere with the application and removal of the cap to and from the receptacle. I

The foregoing discloses how the invention may be-utilized in connection with existing screw threaded caps, and hereinafter I havedisclosed 1'05 modifications of the invention.

. Referring to Figs. 5-7 of the drawings, the numeral 10 designates anouter shell illustrated as being octagonal-ins with flat. faces 11 shell having the screw threaded wall 13 for en gagement with the screw threads on the neckof areceptacle, not shown, and provided at its bottom with a lateral flange 14 of the same configuration and approximate dimensions as the interior of the external shell 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the parts 10 and 12 are assembled to form the cap by inserting the shell 12 within the shell 10 so that the top 15 of the internal shell preferably engages the ridge 16 formed in the top of the member 10, while the flange 14 separates the screw threads 13 from the faces 11, and the upturned portion 17 of the flange engages the inner sides of the shell 10 at its bottom, it being understood that the dimensions of the interior of thecap 10 and'the exterior of the upturned portion 17 are such that the contacting faces have'snugfrictional engagement. J

As shown in Figs. 9 and 10 the inner cap may be formed without the upturned portion 17 'simply by making the flange 14' a. lateral extension of the screw threaded wall 13 and of a dimension to snugly engage the interior of the walls 11' of the shell 10' when the parts are assembled.

.Referring to Fig. 11, I have illustrated how the'external shell or cap can 'be made of a different shape than that illustrated in the other figures, it being apparent that the cap 20 is substantially square having the four long walls 21 which are engaged by the flange 22 of the inner shell. the external shell or cap can be made hexagonal, octagonal, triangular, or of any other angular or non-circular formation, it being only necessary to have the flange or bead of the inner shell conforming to the shape and approximate dimensions of the interior of the external member for engagement preventing relative movement between the two as above explained.

It should be obvious from the foregoing that a cap constructed in accordance with this invention is very desirable in-that the parts can be made in great quantity by die-stamping metallic forms or sheets capable of being readily assembled to provide the usual circular surface for screw threaded engagement with the neck of a receptacle to close the receptacle and at the same time affording an external non-circular surface providing the necessary grip for removal of the cap from the receptacle.

.My invention makes it possible -to provide stamped metallic caps the outer configuration of which corresponds to or harmonizes with the outer configuration of non-circular receptacles. For example, if the receptacle is hexagonal or triangular or of any other non-circular cross sectional configuration, a metallic cap proportioned to the size of the receptacle and conforming to the cross, sectional configuration thereof can be readily and cheaply supplied, thus making it possible for manufacturers or dealers in various commodities to aiford not only a better 'cap which .can be readily turned and handled but also a more,attractive package, an object which has been long sought without noticeably increasing the cost of the complete container.

I claim:

1. A cap for receptacles having a screw threaded neck comprising an inner shell having a circular screw threaded wall for-engagement withscrew threads on the neck of the I would have it understood that without distorting the screw' threads.

receptacle, an annular lateral projectionat the lower edge of said wall, an outer shell of noncircular form mounted over the inner shell with the lower portion of its walls in engagement with said projection on the inner shell, said projection conforming to the non-circular form of the walls of the outer shell which it contacts to hold said shells against relative; turning movement.- i

2. A cap for receptacles having a screw threaded neck comprising an inner shell having a circular screw threaded wall for engagement with screw threads on the neck of the receptacle, an annular lateral projection at the lower edge of said wall, an outer shellof non-circular form mounted over the inner shell, said outer shell being of greater length than the inner shell and the lower end of said outer shell being clamped around and under said projection, and said projection conforming to the non-circular form of the walls of the outer shell.

3. A cap for receptacles having a screw threaded neck comprising an outer shell of noncircular formation, an inner shell having a screw threaded wall for engagement with the screw threads on the neck of the bottle and a lateral flange extending outwardly from the bottom of said screw threaded wall and being of a dimension and shape to engage against the inner surface of the walls of the outer shell to hold the two together and to provide meansfor turning the cap on the screw threads.

4. A cap for ,receptacles having a screw threaded neck comprising an outer shell of noncircular formation, an inner shell having a screw .110 threaded wall for engagement with'the screw threads on the neck of the bottle and a lateral flange extending outwardly from the bottom of the inner shell and having an upturned portion shape of the interior of the outer shell for engagement with a portion thereof to hold the- .outer shell and of a dimension to engage the inner surface of the walls of the outer shell to hold the two together and to provide means for turning the canon the screw threads.

6. The method of making a metallic screw threaded cap .of non-circular external shape which comprises placing a cylindrical cup like member having a screw threaded wall and an annular circular projection within an outer noncir'cular cup-like member and clamping the lower portion of the outer member around the circularprojection with sufficient force to change the 'shape. of the projection from circular to substantially the shape of the outer member 7. The structure of claim 2 wherein the lower end of the outer shell" is clamped around said edge of said wall an outer shell standing flange at its lower end, the perimeter of said flange being of non-circular formation corresponding to the formation of the outer shell and engageabl'e against the inner surface thereof to hold the two shells together and to prevent relative rotation thereof. s

10. A screw cap of the character described,

comprising an outer sheet-metal shell of angular formation and an inner sheet-metal shell nested within the outer shell and having a screwthreaded wall, said inner shell having a lateral outwardlyand upwardly extending flange at its lower edge, the perimeter of which is of angular formation corresponding with the formation of the outer shell and frictionally engageable therewith to hold the two shells together and to prevent relative rotation thereof, said" outer shell being of substantially the same diameter from top to bottom.

11. A screw-threaded cap for a receptacle having .a screw-threaded neck, said cap comprising an inner sheet-metal shell having a screwthreaded wall to engage the screw-threads on the neck of a receptaclathe lower end of said wall formed with an outwardly and upwardly projecting portion extending laterally beyond the screw-threaded wall and the outer perimeter of whic is of p lygonal formation, an outer sheet-metal shell of greater length than the length of the inner shell and nested therein,

said outer shell being of polygonal shape corresponding to the perimeter of the outwardly projecting portion and of substantially the same diameter as said portion of the inner shell and the lower edge portion of the outer shell bent inwardly around and under the lower edge of the inner shell, the construction and arrangement of the parts being such that the two shells are held against relative rotative movement.

- HENRY HERMANI'. 

